Temple of the Yellow Dragon
by Ghost000000
Summary: After ending up in another world, Lara Croft helps Wonder Woman find a way back home. They fight together, bond, and find a special connection with one another. Contains futa sex, but mainly focused on story.
1. Set-Up & Prologue

_So, this first "chapter" exists for me to set-up how exactly this story is going to work, as well as give a short prologue before we really get into things. First of all, there will actually be a plot to this story. While most of my works have mainly been focused on sex, I do want the main focus for this story to be focused on some sort of plot. Now, of course, there will still be romance and a little dirty stuff in this story. Off the top of my head, there will be at least one sex scene, but that won't be until later. And like my other work, it will be futa sex, so if you're not a fan of that, consider this your warning. But like I said, there won't be a lot of that in here. I'm trying to make the romance be more focused on the interactions between the characters rather than just actual sex. Speaking of characters, let me talk about them for a little bit._

_As far as Wonder Woman is concerned, I'm not really sticking to one version of her. But in terms of basic information, I think that info is more or less universal (Themyscira, part of the Justice League, her powers, etc.). In terms of outfit, it's more or less the one from her 2017 film. Personality is exactly what you would expect._

_Lara Croft, however, is a little more complicated. Even though I have yet to play the most recent games (2013 reboot, "Rise of the…" and "Shadow of the…") I will be more or less sticking to that version in terms of continuity. I have gone through the plots for all 3 of those games and have a good understanding of this version of her. This story will take place after the events of "Shadow of the Tomb Raider". In terms of physical appearance, this story should have a picture attached to it that will show what I generally want her to look like. Nothing personal against the recent games, but I found her face in those games to be a little off. So, as far as how her face looks, it will be a little more like the picture that should be attached to this story. But her personality should more or less be the same._

_Any other characters that appear in this story are original characters created specifically for this story._

_Sorry, I know this part was a little lengthy. But I just want to make sure everyone understands what kind of story I'm trying to go for here. So, while this upcoming prologue probably won't be as long as future chapters, it's as good a start as any. Without further ado, let's dive right in…_

Diana walked down the hall. She had finished her training regimen using new equipment that just arrived at the Watchtower. As she was about to approach a door opening, she saw Barry with his back against the wall, and voices coming from the room the opening lead to. She stopped right by Barry, out of sight from whoever was in the room.

"Why are you hiding? Are we being invaded?" Diana softly asked Barry, her hand reaching for her sword.

"No no!" Barry grabbed Diana's hand, stopping it from grabbing her sword. As soon as he realized his action, he turned around and saw Diana was raising an eyebrow, an annoyed look sending daggers right at him. He moved his hand away, letting go of hers.

Diana stopped reaching for her sword, crossing her arms. "If we are not being attacked, then can you explain what is going on?"

"Constantine just showed up and he and Z are in a pretty heated argument. I mean, they usually always are, but they are really going at it!"

"And you're afraid of what? That they might turn you into a turtle?"

"Not that exactly, but I am worried that they might just start flinging magic at one another. And I'm not getting in the middle of them when that starts happening!"

Before she could respond, a loud banging erupted from the room. "Oh man, it looks like it's starting up."

"This is ridiculous. Arguments can be ended without going to such over the top extremes." Diana stepped around Barry, starting to enter the room. But just as she was about to assert her presence, she was hit with a bolt of light that came from Constantine's fingers and all of a sudden, she disappeared.

The sudden action was enough to create complete silence in that part of the Watchtower. Barry stepped away from his spot and looked into the room. A confused Constantine and an annoyed Zatanna pinching her forehead greeted him as he entered, looking at the spot where Diana just was moments ago.

"Uh, guys? Not to stick my nose in your business, but what exactly just happened to Diana just now?" Barry looked right at Constantine, correctly figuring he was the one responsible.

"Bollocks!" Constantine ran a hand through his hair, trying to regain focus. "Well, it seems like in the heat of the moment, I might have zapped the good Princess to another dimension."

"Exactly how bad is that?" Barry now turned to Zatanna, trying to see if she could provide a reliable answer.

"It depends on which world she was sent to. But magic exists in all places, so there should be a way for her to come back." She put her hands on her hips and turned to smirk at Constantine. "But you're going to wish she doesn't John. Because when she does, you will have to deal with an angry Amazon."

* * *

(The Other Dimension)

Lara went past the gates and cruised down the road on her bike back up to the doors of Croft Manor. She might not be out and about in the world in ancient tombs, but she made a promise to herself that she will maintain her level of physical activity as much as possible. She leaned her bike against the side of the steps and brushed dirt off of her bike short, unzipping her jacket a little bit.

She walked up the steps, opening the door and letting the cool air from inside the manor welcome her back home. She walked through the main entrance into one of the living rooms to grab a section from the paper. But just as she was about to sit down, a flash of bright light nearly caused her to fall over. She dropped down to her knee, grabbing the gun she kept under the coffee table and stood back up. But by the time she did, the light was already almost completely gone and an unseen figure landed on their back on the ground.

She slowly walked around the couch that blocked the new figure from her site, her gun pointed downwards in the general direction of the newcomer. Once she got behind the couch and had the new person in sight, she was just hit with more confusion than seconds before.

"You have got to be shitting me." She never had the time to really read any kind of comic back as a young girl, or when she worked herself through college. But she instantly recognized that somehow, she was looking at the real Wonder Woman, in the flesh.


	2. Welcome to Croft Manor

Diana rubbed her head, her eyes closed as she tried to regain focus. She could hear someone talking, but couldn't make out the words. It took a moment, but she finally managed to open her eyes. She found herself on the ground, and the figure standing over her had a gun pointed at her head. As things became more focused, she could tell that the figure was a woman, and that she appeared to be more shocked than eager to shoot.

"How the Hell did you do that?" The woman asked Diana. She assumed that the same bright light that blinded her back at the Watchtower was what she was referring to.

"I think I can explain. But before I do, I would appreciate it if you would holster your gun." Diana kept a firm face, wanting to be friendly. But since she doesn't even know who this woman is or where she is, it was probably best to be on her guard for anything. After a few seconds of silence, the woman moved her gun away, holding out one hand to help her help. She grabbed it and pulled herself up, trying to get a good look around her new location.

"So, you said you could explain. I look forward to what you have to say." The woman walked around the nearby sofa, getting onto her knee to put the gun underneath a table.

"I was hit with something – I'm not completely sure what – that has obviously teleported me away from my original location. I' also under the impression that I might have travelled into a completely new dimension."

"If it wasn't for the fact that I just saw how you appeared in my home, I would have just thought you were a crazy cosplayer." The woman pulled her phone from her pocket and started looking something up.

"A cosplayer? Is that a kind of criminal?" Diana took a few steps towards the woman.

"No. It's just something people do when they want to look like their favorite superhero. Their favorite FICTIONAL superhero that is." She handed the phone to Diana, which showed a picture of her on the screen. Well, not exactly her, but it said it was her. She had on a completely different outfit in the picture, but it called the picture Diana and Wonder Woman.

"I wouldn't wear something like this. This outfit has no armored or defensive advantage to justify wearing it." Diana scrolled down, starting to read what the rest of this site had to say, getting a better idea of what kind of world this is.

"Well, at one point you did. Look, you are a fictional character. At least, you are here. I never really read any comics, but you're a pretty recognizable character." The woman watched her go through more on her phone, trying to wrap her hand around the whole idea.

"I suppose I shouldn't really be that surprised. I have fought enemies from alternate Earths, even alternate versions of myself." Diana handed the phone back to the woman. "Now, it's my turn to figure out who you are."

"The name's Lara Croft." She handed out her hand, which Diana took and shook.

"Greetings Ms. Croft. Forgive me for asking, but you seem to be taking this situation surprisingly well."

"Well, while my world doesn't exactly have superheroes, I have seen more than my fair share of the supernatural."

"Supernatural? If magic exists here, perhaps there is a way for me to return back to my Earth."

"My thoughts exactly. Look, I know it's still technically morning, but go upstairs and get some rest if you want, or just explore. I haven't even gone into every room in this place yet. I'll try and do some research, get in touch with some people who might be able to help."

Lara started to walk backwards, showing Diana the stairs. "Doesn't matter where you turn, you can find some sort of bedroom up there. Try not to move anything too far out of place." Diana nodded in understanding.

Lara held out her arms and gave Diana a small smile. "Until we get you home…welcome to Croft Manor." With that, she turned around and walked out of sight. Diana started making her way up the stairs, making sure she still had her sword and lasso with her. She made a left and found a big hallway.

After looking around, she picked a door and opened it to find a fairly spacious bedroom. There was a closet that held a variety of different clothes, some of it might even be able to fit her. She saw there was a bathroom attached and decided that a shower wouldn't be a bad idea. It could be a long while before any opportunity to go back could turn up.

She got undressed and stepped into the shower. She forgot that she had only recently finished working out back at the Watchtower, and felt the water to be pleasantly relaxing. She spent more time in the shower than she originally thought, stepping out and realizing a fair amount of time has passed. She went back into the closet, looking through something to wear. Eventually, she found some jeans, a plain white top, and even grabbed a leather jacket and some boots. If there really weren't any superheroes on this Earth, then she should try to avoid looking like one in order to blend in.

Once she got her new attire on, she walked out of the room and headed towards the stairs. "Ms. Croft?" She didn't hear a response as she headed down to the main floor. She walked around the staircase when she hit the bottom, and found a door that was slightly opened. Pushing it open, Diana descended another flight of stairs. Once she got to the bottom, she found an entire floor that appeared solely dedicated to training. There was the standard gym equipment, a boxing ring, it was very decked out.

"I see you found one of my favorite rooms in this mansion." Diana turned around and Lara stood behind her. "I was about to look for you and saw you come down here. Sorry if I startled you."

"I don't startle easily. But I must say, I am impressed with what you have assembled here." She grinned as she turned her head back to the boxing ring in the middle of the area.

"I like to keep in shape." Lara thought about explaining why she had all of this, but figured to leave that until later. No real reason to explain why just yet, not unless directly asked.

"If you need a sparring partner, I would be willing to help out." Diana said.

"Actually, I could throw a few punches right now. Would you mind helping me put on the gloves?" She pointed and walked towards the ring, towards the boxing gloves on the bench. Diana followed, helping Lara put some tape on her hands and pull her gloves on.

"Have you managed to get any start on locating a possible way back?" Diana asked.

"Yes, but it isn't much. I've only recently wrapped my head around the fact that magic does apparently exist. A little tighter on this one." Lara slightly shook her right hand, indicating for her to tighten the glove. "I made as many calls as I can, and so far I couldn't find any kind of myth that might be able to help as far as other dimensions are concerned."

"Well, I'm at your service if you need a helping hand." Diana grabbed her sparring gloves and stepped up onto the ring. She helped Lara get inside, moving towards the center of the ring. Diana held her gloves up, nodding for Lara to start whenever she wants to.

Nodding back, Lara started punching Diana's open gloves, using more strength than what Diana estimated she would use. She used her speed efficiently, dodging pretend punches to make it feel like she was actually fighting someone. After a little bit, Diana started moving her gloves around, even moving her body so that Lara wasn't stuck in one spot. It didn't seem like Lara was getting all that tired, despite how energetic her movements were and the strength of her punches.

After a while, Lara stood up straight, stretching her arms and Diana relaxed her posture. "I think that's enough for right now." Lara responded. "Especially when we could be directing our energy to something more productive."

"Do you want to shower first?"

"No, I can do it later. I like having something to do." Lara stepped out of the ring, Diana following suit and helping her take off her gloves.

"You had impressive form and technique. Do you do this professionally?" Diana asked.

"Not exactly. I did end up doing that kind of thing a lot." Diana assumed from the tone in that response that she shouldn't ask what she meant by that. "Now, the study is upstairs, where I have everything spread out." The two women walked back up to the main floor and Lara showed her the giant study that she somehow missed when she originally came out looking for her.

"You own quite a collection Ms. Croft." Diana said.

"Please, just call me Lara. And this used to be my father's." Lara went up a little ladder and grabbed another book to add to the ones she had already opened on the table in the middle of the study. Diana noticed a picture of three on a desk. She walked over and picked it up.

"Is this him?" She turned and help up the picture for Lara to see from on top of the ladder.

"Yea, that's him all right. Along with my mother and myself." She had a small and seemingly sad smile on her face as she said that. After a moment, she came down the ladder and held the book in her hand. "So this should have a variety of different folklore and mythology concerning Australia and the Indonesia area. If you want to get started on this, I can start by looking up Asian folklore."

"Sounds like a plan." She put the picture down and took the book from Lara. She leaned against the desk and Lara stood over the giant table, looking through multiple different books at the same time. It was a long and mainly quiet process. They didn't really talk to each other that much, checking in every now and then to see if they came across anything. Hours passed, with the two women ended up sitting in nearby chairs, at this point in their research they are just lazily staring at the books in their hands.

Diana closed her book and got up from her chair. "I don't believe we will be finding anything tonight Lara. Perhaps we could take a break."

"Hmm? Oh, yea. Of course." Lara was fighting off sleep when Diana first spoke. "I'm going to finish this chapter. Feel free to walk around, I'll catch up with you shortly." Diana put her book down and walked out of the study.

She ended up back in the living room she started out in. Maybe she could find something relevant to their mission that they might have overlooked. She came across a picture of a young girl, assumingly Lara at a different age. She was holding a pistol and standing with a man different from the picture in the study. Diana examined the picture, trying to figure out if this could still actually be Lara's father.

"That's Conrad Roth in the picture." Lara said from a little across the room, causing Diana to turn around. "Not my father, but he raised me like he was."

"I'm sorry if I was looking at something that I shouldn't." Diana said.

Lara shook her head, walking over to gently grab the picture from her. "It's fine. I mean, it's a little hard to think about his death, but it isn't as bad as it was." Lara slowly walked to the couch, sitting down as she looked at the picture. Diana took a few steps, sitting down next to Lara, not saying a word.

"Conrad was a friend of my father." Lara said. "He even helped my father try and find a way to bring my mother back after she died. Last time I was with him, we were on an island named Yamatai and he died protecting me. That was when I first discovered that magic was real and that there were people obsessed with using it for themselves." Lara fought back a tear that tried to break free.

"I'm sorry for your loss. Judging from the picture, he must have taught you a lot of your skills." Lara nodded in confirmation. "Well, in that case, I'm sure he is proud of the person you have become." Diane wrapped an arm around Lara. Croft put her hand on Diana's knee and smiled at her.

"I know. But it is also nice to hear." Before she could have a chance for her mind to get away from her, Lara coughed and pulled her hand back. "If you want, we could go and eat before beginning work on the next day.

"Do you have something in mind?" Diana stood up, straightening her jacket.

"There is a Chinese restaurant that I particularly enjoy. Just a heads up, I don't actually have a car." Lara stood up, grabbing some keys. "I have a motorcycle, just so you know."

"Ok. Do people here have some sort of unusual fear for motorcycles?" Diana asked. "Because I have no problems with that."

"No, just wanted to let you know. Come on then." Lara lead the way, handing Diana a helmet once she showed her the bike. Lara got on, starting it up, as Diana got on next, wrapping her arms around Lara. Forcing her mind to focus, Lara took off, leaving Croft Manor behind for now as the two women sped off.


	3. Got A Call

Lara pulled up in an empty parking spot, Diana getting off and taking her helmet off. The two women then went inside the restaurant and found themselves a table.

"So, feel free to order what you want. But you probably already figured that out just by being inside my home." Lara rested her elbows on the table as Diana picked up a menu.

"I certainly will." She looked it over, finding something to pick. A waiter came by and they both ordered what they wanted.

As the waiter left, Diana leaned on towards Lara. "I want to get a better understanding of your world. You said that magic exists but is very difficult to find."

"Correct." Lara nodded. "My father and Conrad used to locate ancient temples and cities and try to uncover hidden treasures, and they usually had some sort of supernatural quality to it. In the last several years, I have had some…intense experiences regarding the more supernatural."

"I assume that means that there are other people that seek these objects out for their own agendas?" Diana asked. "Doesn't seem too unlike my own world."

"Well…yea, I guess it isn't." Lara thought about it for a moment. "But I wouldn't exactly say I'm the Wonder Woman of this world." Lara grinned, getting Diana to softly chuckle.

"It is a little strange to know that this world only has me as a fictional character."

"Well sure, I bet that raises all sort of existential questions. But you are one of the more popular ones. There are a lot of people that admire what you do, even if on this world it is all contained on paper."

"So there are others that try and live their lives with me as their ideal goal?"

"Yea, a lot of women. And some men." Diana raised an eyebrow at that, which Lara could only shrug. "I guess you transcend gender norms. That's my best explanation."

"As long as I help the less fortunate gain the strength to take control of their lives." Diana leaned back in her chair. "So, what do you do with your life now? From what it sounds like, your days of travelling the world discovering ancient magic seem to be on pause."

"Well, I sort of nearly stopped an apocalypse last time I followed some people to an ancient temple. After that, I had my full of the undead and the magical for a while." Lara moved back as the waiter came over and set their food in front of them. "But I wouldn't say my days are completely over. Especially now, since I might just have to find one in order to help you get back."

Diana nodded as she started to eat her meal. After a few bites, Diana looked up to Lara and said, "You have picked a fine place to eat."

"I aim to please. Glad you enjoy it." Lara started digging into her own food, savoring the taste as the women ate mostly in silence, knowing there isn't much they can do until they find some sort of lead. After they finished, Diana was the one who spoke first.

"I'm curious. How many people to you normally interact with on a regular basis?"

"Uh, I don't know. I mean, I go to restaurants and stores…I'm not sure what your trying to ask." Lara raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"Forgive me for speaking on something I shouldn't, but I have noticed your home is pretty empty of people. With the exceptions of photographs."

"Well, it's a big place. There is going to be lots of open spaces no matter what."

"But it feels like the home belonging to someone who doesn't want to get out and connect with others. Given what you have spoken about your past, I can see that you are still struggling to adjust to your newfound knowledge and perhaps you might still have some issues left unresolved."

Lara shifted a little uncomfortably in her chair. "Wow, you really know how to read people."

"It's a useful skill. I'm sorry if I overstepped- "

"No, no, it's fine." Lara ran a hand through her hair, collecting her thoughts. "It's not like your far off from the mark. I just want to deal with this myself."

"If that's what you want, I will respect it." Diana's face softened. "But should you change, remember that not everything has to be done alone."

"Thanks. Anyway, unless you want to stay and turn this into a therapy session, we should probably get going." Lara took the check that was just placed on the table and gave the waiter her card.

"Very well. What shall we do for the rest of the night?"

"We won't be able to do much tonight. We spent a huge chunk of the day reading old texts and myths and couldn't come up with much." The waiter returned with the receipt, handing it to Lara. "So, once we get back, we can just more or less do what we want and save more work tomorrow."

"A logical plan." Diana got up from the table, following Lara back outside. They got on the motorcycle and headed back to the mansion. Once back inside the house, Lara gave Diana more of an official tour, showing her as many rooms as she could and having slightly lighter conversation.

The two soon made their way upstairs, stopping once they reach the top. "Well, you know where your room is obviously. I'll be over there at the far end." Lara pointed over to the adjacent hallway. "Might be a little bit of a walk, but if for some reason you need to find me during the night, you know where to look."

"Thank you. You have been a very generous host. There are a lot of people who might not have been so accepting and calm throughout this unusual predicament."

"I've been through worse." Lara smiled. "Well, I guess it's good night then." Diana nodded, surprising Lara with a hug before turning around and heading back to her own bedroom. Lara began walking to hers, slightly red. She closed the bedroom door behind her, pushing away any thoughts and images in her head away as she tried to find some sleep.

* * *

(The next morning)

Lara was greeted by her phone loudly ringing right next to her. She groaned in annoyance, blindly reaching out to find the cell phone on the nightstand. After finally getting a hold on it, she pushed herself up and answered the phone.

"Whoever this is, you better have a really good reason for waking me up." Lara rubbing her face, trying to open her eyes.

"Ms. Croft, this is Bryan. You left me a voicemail the other day about any rumors about a powerful artifact. Something about other dimensions?"

"Yes, I did. And?"

"Well, I did some digging, and I think I might actually know of something that could be what you're looking for."

"I'm listening." Lara was able to get her eyes fully open, gaining her focus on the conversation at hand.

"There are local Chinese legends about a temple located somewhere in the northern region of the country that contains something called a Flaming Pearl. I have taken the liberty of emailing the documents detailing the object to your address."

"Thank you Bryan. You have no idea how much you're helping me out with this one." Lara started to hang up, but Bryan had one last thing to say.

"Ms. Croft, before you hang up! You should know that word is there is an unidentified party that is also interested in what you're looking for."

"Well, do you have any other information about them?" Lara got out of bed, pacing around the room.

"No, I'm not even sure if they are on their way there yet or if they have already arrived. Chances are, it will take them some time to find the temple since no one knows for sure where it is located. But I have also emailed you the contact email for two people to meet up with you once you arrive in the country. They are probably your best bet."

"Thanks for the heads up." Lara ended the conversation, stretching her back and neck as she thought things through. If there are indeed other people who plan on finding the same thing she is looking for, chances are it is going to get bloody real fast. She opened her email, going through all the information that was sent to her, getting herself as familiar with the object and myth as she possibly could. Then, she started getting herself prepared.

As Diana walked out of her bedroom, she saw a fully prepared Lara walking towards her. She had on a sleeveless green top with green camo cargo pants and black boots. She carried a back bag across your shoulders. Diana almost didn't notice the two twin guns at Lara's sides.

"I suggest you wear all of the stuff you had on when you first arrived here. I just got a call on something that might be able to help. I'm going to call ahead and make sure we have a plane ready to take us to where we need to go."

"Where is it that we are going?" Diana asked.

"I don't have exact coordinates, but we're heading to northern China." Lara started walking backwards. "So, get your warrior face on. We're going on an adventure!" Lara smiled big before turning around and heading down the stairs. Diana smiled herself as she headed back into her room to grab everything she needed.

* * *

(Last night, over China)

The plane was set-up like the ones from movies where all the people are sitting on the edge, turned towards each other. Some of them played and cleaned their weapons, whether it be guns or knives. All of them were conversing with one another, making jokes and telling stories. They were a bunch of mercenaries hired by the leader of this group, who was sitting with the pilot.

Anton Smelleck was dead focus on the air in front of him. He was keeping his eye out in case some military plane came from out of view and tried to approach them and make them land. He wanted no delays, they were already going to be taking longer than what he wanted to try and locate this damn place anyway once they hit the ground.

Once he was satisfied with what he was seeing, he got out from his chair and started to walk towards the hired guns. As soon as he came into view, the others fell silent and turned to him, knowing that he was going to speak.

"In a couple of minutes, we will be jumping out of this plane and hitting the ground." Some of the men started to make sure their weapons were where they needed to be in order to be secured during the trip down. "There is only one thing I care about. Finding the temple and the pearl inside. I don't care how we do it. If someone tries to stop us, shoot them. I want to delays that can be avoided. Is that understood?"

They nodded, with a few mumbling their agreement and understanding. With that, Anton turned around and gave the pilot the thumbs up, and the door started to open. The mercs started to get to their feet, grabbing their parachutes and moving towards the opening door. Once it was fully open, they all jumped out one by one, with their employer following right behind them.

The air hit them with an intensity that they all expected. The darkness of the night didn't do anything to hide the sights they were falling towards. While they couldn't describe the details of the landscape, they could see enough to start finding out a safe spot to land. None of them tried to talk to one another, because it was pointless to try and communicate going so fast in the air.

Once they came to a certain height, they opened their parachutes and started slow their descent towards the ground. One of the men that Anton trusted to be a second in command started leading them all towards the safest spot they could pick out. One by one, they all ended up making contact with the ground. Anton was the last to land, dropping his parachute right where he landed. He didn't care about what he left behind him, as long as he got what he came here for.

Once he could tell that everyone was where they should be, he used his hands to indicate that they should start moving. According to his plan, they should be nearby a small village that they can more or less take over as a base of operations. No need to get too violent with them, as long as they cooperated with them.

Anton and his men quietly but briskly moved through the wildlife of the Chinese landscape. Soon enough, they came across the village right when they were supposed to. They then made their way to it, asserting their dominance to begin the search for the temple the following morning.


	4. Jungle Trek

There wasn't a whole lot of foot traffic, but the center of the small Chinese village was certainly busy this morning. Lara and Diana reviewed the documents that were emailed and memorized where they were supposed to meet their guides. Diana wore a hooded cloak over her warrior outfit in order to not attract attention to them. Lana grabbed onto Diana's shoulder and nodded her head towards the two men sitting down at a table. The women walked towards them.

Once they were closer, one of them tapped the other. Turning his head towards the ones approaching them, he stood up and smiled, holding out his hand to Lara. "You must be Miss Croft. We've heard great things about you. All true?"

"As long as they entertain you." Lara grinned and shook the man's hand, adjusting the strap on her shoulder carrying her bag. "And you must be…Tanner Ming?"

"Correct. This is my brother Lionel." He patted his brother's back, who smiled and nodded at them. "Forgive him, he doesn't really speak English. But he does understand it. Apologies, I forgot to greet you miss…?" He put his hand out to Diana. Smiling kindly, she took it and shook Tanner's hand.

"Don't worry about it. My name is Diana." As she shook, one of her bracelets reflected the harsh sunlight from up above. She pulled it back under her cloak instantly after letting go. "It is our understanding that you can help us find what we are looking for?"

"Well, we can certainly get you started. Truth is, no one has ever really thought about trying to seek out what you are looking for." Crossing his arms, his smile disappeared and he took a more serious stance while his brother stood up. "This place doesn't have a lot of real life facts to prove its existence. But I suppose that's why you're here."

"The life of an explorer." Lara patted her bag. "But I always make sure I'm equipped to handle any surprises. So, shall we get started gentlemen?"

"Of course. Just this way." The brothers lead the way down the street until they reached the edge of the village. There was a jeep and the two brothers got in front and started up the vehicle. Lara and Diana got into their seats in the back just before the jeep started to move forward down a dirt road into the jungle.

"You said that this temple didn't have a lot of factual basis." Diana said as she leaned forward. "Is there anything you do know about this site that can shed some light onto why that is?"

"Well there is a story." Tanner turned around, his hand grabbing the back of the driver seat that his brother was occupying. "There was a man who lived in a village – the one we just left – he had a farm but it wasn't doing very well. He prayed until one day a dragon came down and blessed his field. The next day, the dragon spoke without showing himself, telling him to gather the village and build a temple to hide the orb that appeared in front of the old man's house."

"Usually old tales like that are a arable or hold some symbolic meaning." Lara commented with a curious look. "But it's hard to say what kind of message a story like that holds."

"There might be a little more I might be forgetting, but you have a point Miss Croft." Tanner replied. "I think an old emperor, long time afterwards, tried to search the surrounding jungle but couldn't come up with anything. So, it just sort of faded, only carried on by the village itself. Only reason I know it is because I grew up in said village."

Lara nodded and Diana leaned back into her seat, looking out and around the jeep. The vegetation grew thicker and the humidity started to rise the further they travelled. It must have been close to an hour of driving before Lionel stopped the jeep. Tanner turned back around to face the women.

"This is about as far as we can take you. The rest of your path will be basically unknown territory."

"Expected and predicted. Thank you Mr. Ming for your help getting us out here." Lara jumped out of the jeep with Diana following suit. Tanner motioned towards what appeared to be East to indicate which direction they should go. Lionel turned the jeep around and headed back the same direction they came. Once out of sight, Lara and Diana began walking into the thick jungle. Taking a machete out of her bag, Lara began chopping at some of the low hanging branches and vines. Diana pulled her hood down, her hand grabbing onto the hilt of her sword but not quite ready to draw it yet.

Pulling out the map, Diana told Lara where to turn along the way. Insects started to gather around them and animal noises could be heard not too far off. The sun beat down on them through the treetops, causing them to sweat a fair bit. Eventually, they reached the bank of a river, which is when Lara put her machete away.

"Ok…I think a break sounds goo right about now; don't you think so?" Lara put her hands on her hips and looked at Diana. While there was a little sweat on her forehead, she didn't seem as tired as Lara was. Not by a long shot.

"I agree." Diana took her robe off, letting her armor finally be free and glisten in the sunlight. Walking towards the river, she kneeled down and used the water to wash her face. Lara took out one of the canteens from the bag and took a drink of water as she sat down on a nearby rock.

"How are you not drenched like I am?" Lara asked. "This is arguably the most I have ever sweated."

"On my island, there is a similar climate. But I do agree that this place is noticeably hotter than Themyscira." Diana stood back up and walked over.

"Themyscira…sorry, what is that?" Lara raised an eyebrow as she looked up. "Forgive me, but I wasn't much of a comic read as a child."

Sitting down on the ground, Diana crossed her legs underneath her. "It is where I grew up and where I trained. My mother was queen. While she did not like the idea of me going out into man's world, she knew there was no use in preventing me. That is when I first wore my armor and took on my title."

"So you trained your whole life?" Diana nodded. Lara rested her arms on her legs and looked down at the ground. "I had some here and there. But it wasn't until my ship crashed on Yamatai that I had to fight. Given that the other option was to be eaten by wolves, I guess you would call that more of a crash course."

Lara didn't say anymore, memories of her experiences coming back. She closed her eyes to try and shut them off. Taking notice, Diana got up on her knees and put a hand on her back in comfort. She was about to speak, but that was when she heard a boot snap a branch that was laying on the ground. Standing up, she used her bracelets to stop the bullets that began shooting at them. Taking notice, Lara stood up and reached for his pistols.

Diana sprinted forward and took down the first man. A couple more came out, Lara turning to them and began shooting. They returned fire, forcing Lara to duck and dodge, kept moving in order to avoid being hit. A couple more came out, closer to Diana. She grabbed one of their guns and used it hilt of hit to knock the first one unconscious. The other was more reflexive, taking out a knife as well as a gun in preparation for hand to hand combat. Blocking the bullets with one bracelet, Diana got closer and grabbed the wrist of his knife wielding hand. Breaking his wrist, Diana slammed her forehead and tiara right against the man's head, causing him to instantly fall to the ground.

Lara managed to work her way closer towards the last remaining shooters. A couple of bullets to the leg of one man and he fell down. Quickly turning to shoot a point blank range, the last man dropped down and came back up after moving closer to try and knock Lara out. Spitting some blood onto the ground, one hand reached into her pocket and grabbed the brass knuckle. Pulling it out, she managed to land a few punches of her own, the bones in his nose cracking before he fell and blood dripped out of his nose onto the dirt.

Diana walked towards Lara, who turned. Grabbing her lasso, shot poked the man who was shot in the leg and motioned towards the tree. Grabbing him, Lara pulled him and rested him against the base of the tree. Diana wrapped the lasso around the man's torso, who was still clearly awake but definitely distracted by the pain. "The lasso commands you to speak the truth. Why did you attack us?"

"Fucking c - …our orders were to shot anybody that was in the way." He grunted and grabbed his leg in pain.

"Looks like we came across the other man that is looking for our temple." Lara looked up at Diana for a quick moment before turning her attention to the man. "What's your employer's name?"

He didn't respond at first, most likely distracted by the pain coursing through his body. "…Anton Smelleck!"

"That mean anything to you?" Diana asked Lara, who just shook her head in response. Diana took the lasso off the man, who was beginning to lose some consciousness. They walked back to their spot by the river bank.

"Well, that was one of the most productive breaks I have ever had." Lara crossed her arms and looked off towards the other side of the river. "Since your no stranger to combat, I don't have to tell you what to expect."

"We still don't know all the weapons and resources this Anton has at his disposal." Diana commented. Grabbing the map and bag, she handed her the bag. "We should keep travelling, see if there is a safe place that we can find to rest for the night that they won't think to look."

Nodding her head, Lara took the bag and they walked side by side through the shallow river. Moving closer to the temple, as well as violence.


	5. Nocturnal Joy

It was late afternoon when Anton woke up in his private tent. He could feel the sun's heat pierce through the tent, his skin glistening. Grabbing a towel to wipe his face, he got dressed and marched outside to the tented area he designated as the command center. Walking up to the table in the center, he reviewed the plans and the planned routes they are to take. One of his men approached him.

"Sir, one of our teams was attacked a few miles west of our location." Anton turned around, crossing his arms as he stared sternly at the man.

"Any deaths?" He asked.

"No, but several of them are badly injured. One of them was shot in the leg. He is being treated, but we don't have the necessary equipment – "

"Take him into the jungle and end his misery." The man was silent for a moment, but ultimately nodded. "Is there anything else you want to report?"

"We were able to gather that the attackers are two women. Based on their descriptions, it seems very likely that one of the women is Lara Croft."

Anton took in a deep breath, slowly exhaling through his nose as he thought things over. Turning back around, he looked at the empty valley in front of their base of operations. The sun was beginning it's descent, the giant yellow ball in the sky almost touching the top of the distant horizon. He rubbed his chin as he gazed on the emptiness in front of him. Finally, he spoke.

"Tell the others to bring her in alive if they have the means to do so. But if that is not an option…I would settle for her dying quickly. Same for her female companion." The man behind Anton nodded and walked away to give out the order to the other men. Anton pulled out a knife from his belt and felt the blade as he ran his fingers slowly along the silver blade. The thought of him not being able to kill Lara himself was disappointing. But based on what he has heard, he is sure that his disappointment is unfounded.

* * *

The sky was starting to get dark by the time the two women had discovered a small cave. Diana pulled out her sword and walked in first, in case there were any animals in there. After determining there were no other occupants, they agreed that the cave would be a suitable resting place for the night.

Lara gathered wood and started to make a fire while Diana used the remaining sunlight to study the map. "It appears we might have passed the temple by a mile or so. Tomorrow we can head northwest and we should approach it in no time at all."

"That's good. This Anton fellow will most likely assume that we are still approaching east towards the temple. Our location should provide us some safety for tonight." She pulled away once she started the fire. She grabbed her guns and checked to see how many bullets she had left that hadn't been fired. She looked through the bag to check on how many she hasn't used it as Diana walked back into the cave and sat down beside her.

"You are quick when it comes to fighting. As well as starting a fire." Diana gave a small smile. "You would have been a strong Amazon in my world."

"Thank you. But fighting is something I would want to avoid whenever possible." Lara gave a shy smile before turning back to the dancing flames with a blank expression.

Diana sat there in silence with Lara for a little while. The sun sank lower into the sky outside of the cave, night slowly starting to overcome. Eventually, Diana made the first move and put her hand on Lara's shoulder, making the young explorer face the Amazon princess. They held each other's gaze with unexpected intensity. At least, unexpected from Lara's view.

"Hardships can never be forgotten." Diana said softly, thinking back to their conversation back in the city. "But you can't let them rule everything about your present, otherwise your future can never be truly your own."

"I…it's been a while that I allowed myself to be in the moment. A lot of what I do is preparing – or I guess you can say worrying – about what might happen in the future." Lara had a light blush in her face, pushing some hair behind her ear. "Some of it is reasonable, considering what I do. But…I get it, I do. It's just hard is all."

Diana moved her hand off of Lara's shoulder and cupped her cheek with it instead. The two women slowly drifted towards each other until their lips touched. It started slow, each one tasting the other as they kissed one another. Lara felt one of her hands reached out and grabbed Diana's waist. For several minutes, that was all they did while the last bit of sunlight disappeared completely. The only light left to allow the women to see each other was the flame inside their cave.

Diana pulled away, Lara being initially confused until she watched Diana began to take off her armor. Starting with her boots, then moving up to her torso. As she did that, Lara began to take off her top and bra, her breasts exposed to the direct heat of the nearby flames. Even though Diana was completely naked, Lara still had on her pants. She briefly hesitated, but then the Amazon reached out and rub her shoulder. She didn't speak, but her eyes told the young British woman that it was all right. Comforted and more at ease, Lara took off the last of her clothing, revealing her half hard erection.

Lara expected Diana to gasp, or jolt back, or…really, have any kind of reaction. But there was none, which left Lara to be the one that was surprised. Diana reached her hand towards Lara's secret shaft and wrapped her hand around it. She stroked, moving slowly up and down as she did. They resumed kissing, their tongues mingling with each other, wrapping around each other and fought for dominance. But it became clear that Diana had taken control, slowly leaning Lara back until she was completely on her back. With Lara now fully hard, her heart felt like it was running a marathon. Diana sat on top of Lara, and as she did so, the Amazon helped Lara enter her body. With a soft gasp and a quick shiver, Lara felt pure physical pleasure.

Lara's hand gently held onto Diana's muscular thighs as the woman on top slowly moved up and down. The movements were slow yet shocking. Diana was a little forceful, but careful and gentle. Diana soon grabbed Lara's hands and moved them up her body, letting her feel every curve. She brought them up to her breasts and made Lara squeeze them as hard as possible. Diana's mouth was slightly open, taking in slow breaths as she continued to move her body. But she took a break from the same motions and let Lara being completely inside of her. She then moved herself back and forth, causing Lara to bite her lower lip. Diana pinned Lara's arms above her head using only one hand herself. She used the other to grab her nearby lasso and then tied Lara's hands above her head. Pushing her hands against the ground, Diana leaned forward and made eye contact with her lover. They were both breathing fairly hard, the excitement making Diana go faster and a little harder, which itself caused Lara to feel even more as she twitched and moaned.

Reacting on instinct, Lara managed to move her arms despite her hands being tied together and wrapped them around Diana. The woman on top pulled up, bringing the one underneath up with her. Diana's hands grabbed onto both sides of Lara's body, their foreheads pressed against each other while Diana moved faster. Lara could feel herself throbbing inside of her partner, the sensation almost becoming unbearable. The two of them fought back as long as they could so they could prolong the moment, but the two of them climaxed. Their moans filled the entirety of the cave, echoing back at them. Diana felt Lara's body shiver for a moment with her grip. Removing them, Diana reach back and managed to untie the lasso around Lara's wrists. The two women grabbed each other and felt the other's body as they locked lips yet again. Now, Diana let Lara push her onto her back. This time, Lara made the movements, deciding how fast and how forceful she wanted to be. Diana pulled one leg closer to her, pressing her foot against the ground. Her hands reached forward to grab onto Lara's ass as she thrusted herself back and forth.

Lara was almost pressing her head right up against Diana's, her mouth opening and closing down into Diana's shoulder. Diana softly laughed as she felt her partner bite into her body. The light from the flames illuminated every action that was made, including the very moment that Lara climaxed once again. But the fire remained for a long afterward, just as the two women continued on through the night.


End file.
